Purpose

The purpose of the Grenfell Campus Teaching Award is to recognize and encourage excellence in teaching and/or teaching innovation and/or teaching leadership. This award is to be offered on an annual basis and is meant to acknowledge excellence primarily attained over a minimum of five calendar years prior to the awarding of this distinction. The award is open to faculty, Instructional Assistants, and Laboratory Instructors. Normally, a recipient is not eligible for consecutive awards.

The Award

The Grenfell Campus Teaching Award will consist of:

A framed certificate given by the Vice-President (Grenfell Campus) at Spring Convocation.

A grant of $2500 to be used by the recipient in support of teaching activities.

In the case of faculty recipients, a permanent recognition of the award beside the recipient’s name in the Calendar.

A public display at MUN-Grenfell Campus with all the recipients’ names.

Criteria

The criteria for teaching effectiveness include excellence in classroom, laboratory, or studio teaching, and/or student supervision; in distance or web-based teaching; and/or in any other activities deemed appropriate by the Teaching Award Committee. Teaching effectiveness may be demonstrated through student course evaluations (or alternative course evaluations developed by staff), statements from colleagues, and any other relevant means deemed appropriate by the Teaching Award Committee.

The criteria for teaching innovation include the development of new teaching methods in the classroom, laboratory, or studio; and/or the development of computer software to aid in university teaching; and/or the development of new technology for university teaching; and/or any other activities deemed appropriate by the Teaching Award Committee. Teaching innovation may be demonstrated through descriptions of the innovation, testimonials by students or colleagues, and any other means deemed appropriate by the Teaching Award Committee.

The criteria for teaching leadership include scholarly publications on university teaching, and/or university textbooks or teaching manuals, and/or the development of activities that promote teaching at Grenfell Campus and/or any other activities deemed appropriate by the Teaching Award Committee. Teaching leadership may be demonstrated through copies of the appropriate materials and any other means deemed appropriate by the Teaching Award Committee.

Procedure/Deadline

Nominations by faculty, staff, and/or students must be made by the first teaching day of the winter semester. Three weeks following the last day for nominations, each nominee shall provide supporting documentation that includes an abbreviated CV, a teaching dossier, a letter of nomination, a suggested maximum of ten (10) letters of support (five from peers and five from students), and any other related documentation. In lieu of teaching data resulting from formal course evaluation questionnaires (CEQs), non-faculty nominees may wish to include data resulting from informal course laboratory evaluations that specifically address the award criteria. Information on developing an effective teaching dossier can be found in the MUNFA Collective Agreement and also on the Instructional Development Office website. All supporting documentation must address, with relevant examples, the three main criteria for the award - teaching effectiveness, teaching innovation, and teaching leadership. The completed nomination package should be submitted to the Office of the Vice-President (Grenfell Campus). A completed application will normally consist of a letter of nomination and all relevant supporting materials.

The award will be adjudicated by a Teaching Award Committee appointed by the Vice-President (Grenfell Campus). The committee shall not include any current nominee and if possible shall include a previous award recipient. The Teaching Award Committee will either recommend a nominee to the Vice-President (Grenfell Campus) or may use its judgment, in a given year, to choose not to recommend an award. After the award has been decided, the Teaching Award Committee will return all submitted materials to the Vice-President’s office to be returned to the nominees.